I first enjoyed herb-stuffed Roman artichokes in Rome, where they were naturally well-prepared. It was a delicious dish that I vowed to reproduce one day, not knowing that there's a lot to learn about preparing artichokes.
The basic principle is easy enough: you trim the tough outer leaves and the tips, scoop out the fibrous choke, stuff with parsley and mint, and cook. Well, trimming and scooping takes some time if you're not a long-experienced Roman sous-chef!
Clean the artichokes by removing the hardest outer leaves with your hands.
Cut off the stem, leaving about quarter-inch from the base.
Cut off the top of each artichoke at the widest part of the artichoke. You can start with a knife, but you will want to neaten the trim with scissors.
The choke is the white fibrous filling in the center. Dig this out with a teaspoon or a grapefruit spoon to remove all the fibers. As each trimmed artichoke is ready rub the cut surfaces with half of a lemon.
Trim the stems to eliminate the tough outer part, then chop them coarsely.
Finely chop the garlic cloves, parsley, and mint. Then season with 1 tablespoon of the oil, add salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.
Stuff the filling into the artichoke "cups", then place the filled artichokes top-down in a saucepan with two cups of water and the rest of the olive oil. It's best to crowd them in the pan so they help each other to retain their shapes.
Bring to a simmer on the stovetop and cook for an hour, until they are tender.
Gently lift from the pot with a slotted spoon and serve hot.
